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Article: Mrs O'Leary's cow did not start fire _ researcher
- Article from:
- The Press
- Article date:
- September 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1997 The Press. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Debunking one of the most enduring pieces of Chicago's lore, a
local researcher is arguing persuasively that Mrs O'Leary's cow did
not start the Great Chicago Fire which killed 300 people and left
100,000 homeless in 1871.
``I'm truly convinced that she didn't start the fire,'' says
Richard Bales, an attorney for Chicago Title Insurance, referring to
Catherine O'Leary, the Irish immigrant whose name has become
associated with the blaze.
Laying out his case in a 23-page article published in the
``Illinois Historical Journal'', Bales says the board of inquiry
which probed the case ignored ``smoking-gun evidence'' that pointed
to Daniel ``Peg Leg'' Sullivan as the more likely culprit.
Bales ...